Please find for sale 25+ fresh Sorbus Torminalis commonly known as the Wild Service Tree or Chequers Tree. 

This UK native tree is hugely underated - probably due to its incredibly boring name! (Actually the name has an interesting history it would be more popular if called the "Beer Tree" as the Romans called it - from the latin name for beer, ceverisia which of course is still familiar is in the cerveza we drink in Spain!). It is alas increasingly rare and usuallly only found in the small areas of remaining ancient woodland such as here in the New Forest

The fruits of the service tree are an important source of food for various birds and animals. The fruits are also good for making jams, juices, and beers. For most of the year the tree looks like a cross between and Maple and a Oak and is hard to spot amongst its cousins, then stands out in late summer and autumn with its cluster of hazlenut like fruits.

PLEASE NOTE: All orders received before 8pm (Mon-Fri) will be dispatched same day

SAVE PACKAGING MATERIALS  - SEE OTHER INTERESTING & UNUSUAL SEEDS & PLANTS IN MY SHOP

INSTRUCTIONS - TO SAVE PAPER I NO LONGER SEND OUT WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CUSTOMERS. INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW SO PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. 

Germination Guide

Service Tree seeds benefit from cold stratification. Stratification is a process of simulating natural conditions that the seeds must experience before germination can occur (if a seed germinates in the middle of winter it will die). In the wild, seed dormancy is usually overcome by the seed spending time in the ground through a winter period and having its hard seed coat softened up by frost and weathering action. This cold, moist period triggers the seed's embryo; its growth and subsequent expansion eventually break through the softened seed coat in its search for sun and nutrients.

  • Get a handful or two of vermiculite, perlite or sterile compost (microwave compost in a plastic bowl for 3 minutes) then allow to cool.
  • Add a little water to the mix. Should be moist but not wet
  • Place in small ziplock bag
  • Place in bottom fridge or in cold shed/outbuilding for 15-25 weeks 
  • Check occasionally for signs of germination - remove those and plant them up
  • After stratification. Spread bag contents on a tray of moist compost
  • Cover with circa 2cm of compost
  • Keep in a warm place 15-25c
  • Seedlings should appear after 15-35 days
  • Keep moist - best to place seed tray inside a waterproof container and water from the bottom
  • Pot on as required

Allow developing saplings to grow on for 2 years before planting out in final position.


Olly's General Guide to Seed Sowing!

I love sowing seeds and it runs in the family - dad, granddad and finally my great-granddad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the Great War. I still get a big kick when I see the first seedling poking through from a new plant that I have never sown before or been successful at. However, even the most experienced gardeners draw "blanks" from time to time. Whilst I sow all the seeds that I sell so I know that they are viable, some are trickier than others and problems can arise so here are some tips to make "blanks" few and far between:

1) Don’t Rush! Tempting though it is when that packet arrives in the post to simply bung the seeds in some compost!

2) Google and YouTube are your friends! Take some time so see the methods other people use to germinate the seed. 

3) Think Nature! What conditions do seeds face? For example a seed from a tropical plant will fall to the warm, wet and dark jungle floor. A seed from the mountains of Europe will fall to the floor in Autumn, then have to endure months of freezing temperatures before germinating in the spring. So as growers, what we are trying to do is to simulate the conditions that the seeds will naturally experience and there are plenty of tricks that can be done to short cut the processes somewhat.

4) Good compost pays dividends. The best investment you can make is to purchase three bags - one of potting compost, one of vermiculite and one of horticultural sand. With these three bags I can make up whatever soil type a particular seed likes (although for most seeds I find a 50/50 mix of compost and vermiculite works just fine) 

5) Rot is your enemy. The single biggest danger to seed germination is rot - either before or after "damping off" the seeds germinate. To reduce the risk, ensure you have good free draining soil mix and that it is moist but not wet. Unless the seed variety absolutely requires it I prefer NOT to cover my seeds trays with plastic bags, Whilst germination is often faster this way, it greatly increases the risk of rot. I prefer to place my seed trans inside a watertight plastic tray and water from the bottom - airflow over the surface reduces the risk.


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